The Cotton-Pickers

An itinerant worker leaves a trail of rebellion as he clashes with the exploitation of workers in this first novel by the author of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

“Readers who ignore the genius of B. Traven do so at their peril.” —New York Times Book Review

Set in the 1920s in Mexico, B. Traven’s The Cotton-Pickers tells the story of Gerald Gales, who drifts in and out of jobs—on a cotton plantation, an oil field, in a pastry shop, and on a ranch—exposing the dangerous exploitation at each station and fomenting workers’ rights along the way. Adventurous, funny, and full of humanity, The Cotton-Pickers challenges and delights readers to this day.

“The Cotton-Pickers is a welcome short early novel to add to the small but prestigious body of the reclusive author’s work. . . . Traven is a brilliant storyteller who satisfies at the action/adventure level while directing his theme at the subconscious.” —Kirkus Reviews